Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => HONEYBEE REMOVAL => Topic started by: daven8er on June 24, 2010, 08:11:31 pm

Title: Drones?
Post by: daven8er on June 24, 2010, 08:11:31 pm

I have some very large bees going in and out of a wall in my chicken coop. They are bigger than most of the other bees. Quite a bit of hair on them and their rounded in the  back. Are these drones? The other bees seem to be fighting them at times.

Title: Re: Drones?
Post by: fermentedhiker on June 24, 2010, 10:16:10 pm

without pictures is impossible to say for sure, but if all the bees coming out of the chicken coop are that size and color etc... Then I would say no they aren't honey bee drones.  It's more likely that you have some carpenter bees or Bumbles or some other native bee species that set up shop either in the wall or under the coop somewhere.  They do occasionally try to rob honey bees but a strong hive can keep them away pretty easily.